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Muslim mathematicians and their contributions
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Muslim Times to Now Muslims were very interested in astronomy, many of their discoveries helped us to learn more today. The moon and the sun are very important to daily life in Muslim culture. By looking at the moon they were able to tell the start and end of their lunar calendar. Looking at the sun helped them to calculate times of prayer and fasting. Astronomy also helped them to calculate which way Makkah was because that was the direction in which they needed to pray. They also discovered many new stars. This also inspired them to learn more about the heavens. Lastly, Muslims were the first to build observatories. The Muslims interest in astronomy was vital to our discoveries today. Today, we still use many of the Muslims discoveries. …show more content…
The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (0). They also put the numbers into the decimal system, base 10. The first great Muslim mathematician was Al-Khawarizmi. He invented algebra, which later was further developed by Umar Khayyam. Mathematicians also excelled in geometry. Al-Biruni established trigonometry, other mathematicians made progress in number theory. The Muslims influence on mathematics is still used today. Many of the theories they developed are still taught in school today. Algebra is still part of something that everyone learns in school. Now there are also many different forms of algebra. Trigonometry is still taught in school today, and so is geometry. Much of the mathematics discoveries are still taught and learned in school today. Muslims were very interested in geography. Their interest in geography began with their religion. The Qur’an encouraged people to travel the world in order to see god’s beauty and his beautiful creations. The Muslim faith required people to at least know the direction of Makkah, which was in the direction they needed to pray at least five times a day. They also used geography on pilgrimages. In 1166, Al-Idrisi, made very accurate maps. He made a map of the world that included famous cities, rivers, continents, and mountains. The first geographer to ever produce a map in color was
Natural philosophy might have played a much smaller role in Islamic science but is not to be overlooked. Al ma’mun built observatories as high as three stories in order to gain a better understanding of the cosmos. With these tools, Islamic astronomers made accurate descriptions of the heavens and created their own geocentric views of the orbits of the heavenly bodies. Attached to many of these observatories were great libraries. Islamic libraries contained a wealth of knowledge which was taken from other civilizations and translated to Arabic such as the House of Wisdom. These libraries had upwards of 2 million books, a massive accomplishment considering they did not have movable type. The Islamic Empire also saw great advances in mathematical understanding with the creation of trigonometry and algebra.
The Aztecs also used mathematics for astronomy. Kind of amazing right? Although most of their information in math astronomy was lost there is a pretty good synthesis of the remaining information in the book “Skywatchers” by Anthony Aveni. For example the Aztecs calculated that the cycle of Venus was 584 days. The aztecs even did the math to workout out the eclipse season although they didn’t know the shape of the earth or the size. Even though they figured out when
The Hereford World Map is the world’s oldest surviving map of the world; it was made in 1300, during the beginning of the Renaissance in Europe. There was a wider range of influences on mapping during the later medieval period. With an increase in exploration, Europe began to evolve into an international continent; widespread travel can be seen by the influences of the Islamic world on architecture. While map making in China had flourished in the 11th C, mapping was beginning to evolve in Europe. By around 1400 there was a peak in map making in Europe. There is evidence of the influence of Roman mapping on medieval maps in Europe. The Medieval world maps but together information from Roman sources to make the world maps in the middle ages known as the mappa mundi, meaning cloth of the world. These were cloth maps, and the name mappa mundi was widely used for them. These world maps were understood by historians as an attempt to show where countries were located, quite often they were not just geographical representations but they were also stories of the world. As knowledge of map making increased during the Renaissance, was a move for wider representations of information on maps. The map became a source of information on the animals and history of the different countries. This can be seen in The Hereford World Map, a map that gives a geometrical representation of the locations of the known countries of the world and also acted as an encyclopaedia of information on various types of animals and where in the world they came from.
“Recovering and preserving the learning of ancient civilizations of Mediterranean…. Greek learning had been lost to the peoples of western Europe. Thanks to Muslim…the priceless writings of the Greeks on …. (everything) was saved” (Source 2). Because of the Muslims curiosity to learn and preserve other cultures they saved what could have been lost forever. But they also perfected most of what the Greeks got wrong in the medical and mathematic department, but they wouldn’t have been able to perfect it without studying and questioning (why was this the way it is?). “The many Muslim accomplishments in these areas included major corrections to the algebraic and geometric theories of the ancient Greeks and great advances in the use of basic concepts of trigonometry.” (Source 3). So, what the world learned from Muslims was questioning things and finding better ways to get that answers we
Along with Muhammad’s influence on Islam, trade routes also provided a significant impact on the spread of Islam. The most important and remembered trade routes were the Silk Roads and the Indian Ocean trade route. In these trade routes, along w...
...or spreading Islam. Advancements in Science and Math helped Islam to move faster. Islam was uniquely successful to attract people towards it where bloodshed was rarely required.
...ime period in a positive scientific light. The distinction between modern and medieval science was described as medieval science being more theoretical in nature and modern being of the more applied variety. Through the further presentation of the plethora of Islamic scientists, covering fields as diverse as astronomy, medicine, chemistry, and physics it has been shown, without a doubt, that significant scientific contributions were made in this period. Finally, the source of this misconception was exposed through the common accidental perception of the past as a European narrative. History can easily be focused around Europe, and to do so produces a view of the medieval era being stagnant. However, when one looks at the greater global picture, it is clear that the Islamic world more than makes up for this lull in innovation, successfully brightening the “Dark Age”.
The Gardens of Light apprises the accounts of Mani’s life. Mani was a painter, doctor, and prophet. His origin of birth is traced to Mesopotamia, which is modern day Iraq, located in the middle east. Mani was born in Mardinu and he is the self proclaimed “son of Babel”. Mani adopted the his early lifestyle from his father Patek.
Unlike geometry, algebra was not developed in Europe. Algebra was actually discovered (or developed) in the Arab countries along side geometry. Many mathematicians worked and developed the system of math to be known as the algebra of today. European countries did not obtain information on algebra until relatively later years of the 12th century. After algebra was discovered in Europe, mathematicians put the information to use in very remarkable ways. Also, algebraic and geometric ways of thinking were considered to be two separate parts of math and were not unified until the mid 17th century.
Ibn al Haytham was a Muslim innovator born in 965 in Basra. He is also known as Alhazen and The First Scientist. In his time, Alhazen was able to invent the first pinhole camera and a camera obscura. Before Alhazen, scientists believed that they did not have to scientifically prove their findings, however, he knew better. Every experiment or hypothesis Alhazen came up with, he submitted it to a physical test and/or proof using mathematic equations. (“Arab Inventors”)
They wrote down what they learned from these places and so this knowledge spread to all other Muslims. They became very advanced in art, architecture, science and mathematics and all this knowledge eventually spread to non-Muslim countries. Much of what we know today is based on the ideas formed by early Islamic scholars. The Islamic religion is based on "The Five Pillars" which are: faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. The first pillar was and still is faith in Allah and his teachings.
In Part I of this series I came forward with few of the literary wondrous contributions of Muslim scientists and their vast knowledge in different fields of science, however in this second part I’ll put forth more of their invented devices specifically in Engineering and Astrology. All of these devices have been invented by Muslim scientists who not only contributed in
The foundations of mathematics are strongly rooted in the history and way of life of the Egyptian people, dating back to the fourth millennium B.C. in Egypt. Egyptian mathematics was elementary. It was generally arrived at by trial and error as a way to obtain desired results. As such, early Egyptian mathematics were primarily arithmetic, with an emphasis on measurement, surveying, and calculation in geometry. The development of arithmetic and geometry grew out of the need to develop land and agriculture and engage in business and trade. Over time, historians have discovered records of such transactions in the form of Egyptian carvings known as hieroglyphs.
The basic of mathematics was inherited by the Greeks and independent by the Greeks beg the major Greek progress in mathematics was from 300 BC to 200 AD. After this time progress continued in Islamic countries Unlike the Babylonians, the Egyptians did not develop fully their understanding of mathematics. Instead, they concerned themselves with practical applications of mathematics. Mathematics flourished in particular in Iran, Syria and India from 450B.C. Major progress in mathematics in Europe began again at the beginning of the 16th Century.
...roups that have been important to astronomy are the Akkadians, Egyptians, Chinese, Polynesians, and the Greeks. They used astronomy for navigation at sea, creating accurate calendars, making new inventions, and many more things! Some modern jobs in astronomy include Educational, Private industries, National Observatories and Laboratories. Also, some technical advances because of astronomy include many telescopes, tracking programs used by FedEx, and IRAF which is used to analyze computer systems. Even though astronomy is an incredibly interesting field, there are minimum job opportunities. Some of the jobs are included in the following fields: education, national observatories and laboratories, or in private industries. Astronomy has been the key to unlocking many new inventions and by connecting things from the past, to the present, and going into the future.